Open Sets Resale - Box Value

[Tiermann]

I am wondering about holding onto boxes. I generally recycle mine once I've opened a set. The only exception being the really old ones with the great scenes printed on them. If I ever sell one off does it actually increase the value of an opened set to have the box? I don't think it does. MIB yes, certainly. With opened ones though it seems like complete with instructions is good enough to get the max price. Boxes start to take up a lot of room when your collection gets big, is it worth the space to hold onto all but the old photo scenes style?

[Rasputin]

Hi Tim 

   I would have to say that the boxes are a good idea to hang onto if you have the room. The way I figure it is that right now the boxes that get a set the highest price are old. If you sell a new set the box does not change the value that much. Now if you hang on to your boxes long enough your new boxes will become old boxes. The box auction that I showed recently HERE was mind boggling how much bidders valued it at . ( for historical preservation 4052 box only $137.50 ) I am not sure of the production year but lets just say 15-20. If you keep your boxes now, in 15-20 you just may be able to finance a lot of new purchases. And if not, who knows cardboard might be a rare item in-it-self.

   I have only threw out small Special's sets the kids ripped open. I have a barn that I keep all the boxes in and there are a lot of them.

   Rasputin "The Mad Monk"

[playmofire]

I think that, overall, having the box to sell with a set does help get a better price, especially if you're selling for Christmas as the set in a box looks that much better on Christmas Day.

[Martin Milner]

I agree with Gordon, having the box does increase the potential resale value. Part of it for me is that if the seller has taken the trouble to keep the original box, they're more likely to have kept the set in good condition too, so I'm usually prepared to pay just that little bit more. Potential, but it really depends on who is looking for a particular set at a particular time.

Of course 95% of my boxes I discard after opening, but I'm not thinking of resale value but of storage practicality, I never buy with the thought of selling on, even in 20 years time. Now I have more storage space, I'll probably keep more boxes, especially for the big sets where I think it makes the most difference.

[Bill Blackhurst]

I personally keep all of the boxes if they come with the set! I have heard of people breaking down boxes to store them compressed if they have room to display the items assembled.

[SubaruWolf]

I keep all my boxes but I break them down to flatten them like Bill mentioned in his post.  They're just too pretty and colorful to throw away.

[flatcat]

I always keep all of the boxes of my sets, and don't break them down either - so the loft is half full up with blue boxes which drives everyone in the house mad 

I definately find that boxed sets seem to sell for more than unboxed ones

[cachalote]

i never sold an item - i am purely a buyer of bnib pirate sets.
most of my older sets came from ebay and, as far as i could detect, a complete set with its original box is always more valuable than a complete one without its box.
i keep all my boxes and try to store the instructions, posters, parts structures and plastic bags inside.
usually i choose the biggest plastic bag and all goes inside.
the smaller sets are treated the same way and kept inside the medium ones that are kept inside the big ones that are kept inside the giant ones (ships and islands). 
in my experience a bnib set can be valued for as much as 10 times a complete with no box set. somewhere in the middle goes a complete but openned set. if it is well photographed and described its value can reach 80 or 90% of a bnib set.